LoHi is one of those Denver neighborhoods that's best explored on foot.
Short for Lower Highland, LoHi sits just across the river from downtown Denver, but it has a personality entirely its own. Historic homes and tree-lined streets meet independent boutiques, restaurants, coffee shops, patios, and some of the best views of the Denver skyline.
We're at 1600 Boulder Street, right in the heart of the neighborhood, and being here every day means we've gotten to know the places that make this little corner of Denver so special. So rather than sending you all over the city, here's how we'd spend a day doing LoHi properly.
Start With Coffee at Maci Cafe
Maci Cafe is practically our neighbor, located at 1575 Boulder Street. It's a cozy Italian-inspired neighborhood cafe serving coffee, espresso drinks, pastries, panini, and other breakfast and lunch options.
Grab a coffee and start walking. One of the things we love about LoHi is that you don't need a packed itinerary. Boulder Street, Central Street, Tejon Street, and the surrounding residential blocks are all easy to explore on foot, and you'll find beautiful old Denver homes, gardens, patios, and little details you'd completely miss from a car.
Shop Small
Leave yourself time to wander. amie at 15th and Boulder is a curated floral shop, worth a stop if you want something beautiful to carry with you for the rest of the day.
Over on Tejon, The Weathered Wick lets you build your own custom candle from scratch, and since it takes a few hours to cure, it's basically designed to send you back out to explore the neighborhood while you wait.
And if you feel like trying something on, come find us at Universal Deco, 1600 Boulder Street. We're a fine jewelry atelier featuring our own collection alongside a curated group of independent artists, and we're always happy to point you toward a favorite lunch spot or another local business worth a look.
Treat Yourself
If your idea of a perfect day includes a little pampering, LoHi has you covered. White Lotus Therapeutics on Tejon Street offers massage and yoga in a calm, personalized studio setting, a nice reset before or after a day of walking.
Or try the newest addition to the neighborhood: Pur Artistry just opened a LoHi location of their Japanese head spa, known for deeply relaxing scalp treatments. It's a Denver-founded, mostly local business, and reviews suggest it's well worth the hype.
Keep Wandering
The best parts of LoHi are often the blocks between destinations. Look at the old houses. Notice the gardens. Take the side street that looks interesting. Walk into the little shop you hadn't planned on visiting.
Denver has changed enormously over the years, and LoHi has changed with it, but there's still a strong neighborhood feeling here, especially among the independent restaurants, artists, and small shops that give the area its personality.
Lunch at Avanti or Linger
If everyone in your group wants something different, Avanti Food & Beverage, at 3200 Pecos Street, is an easy stop. It's a collective eatery with multiple food concepts, bars, patios, and one of the neighborhood's best views of downtown Denver. Good for a casual lunch, since everyone can choose what they want and meet back at a table. If the weather is good, head upstairs.
Or head to Linger at 2030 W. 30th Avenue, set inside a former mortuary. The building's history is still woven into the space, but today it's known for globally inspired food, cocktails, and a rooftop patio with sweeping neighborhood views, a lovely spot for a lingering lunch.
Walk the Highland Bridge to Platte Street
At some point, make your way to the edge of LoHi overlooking downtown. The Highland Bridge and the surrounding streets offer one of our favorite perspectives of the Denver skyline, a reminder of how unusual LoHi's location really is: historic homes and small businesses standing right across the river from downtown. Around sunset, it's especially beautiful. Take the long way there.
Once you're over the bridge, keep exploring on Platte Street. Patterns & Pops is a colorful little boutique worth browsing for clothing, accessories, and gifts. Just down the block, Element Knife Company is worth ducking into even if you have no plans to buy a knife. The staff will happily talk you through German versus Japanese steel like it's the most fascinating subject in the world (it kind of is). Then settle in for tea at Babe's Tea Room, a light-filled spot with an assortment of finger sandwiches, scones, and loose-leaf teas.
Get Ice Cream at Little Man
Little Man Ice Cream opened in LoHi in 2008, and its 28-foot-tall milk can has since become a neighborhood landmark. On warm Denver evenings, you'll often see people gathered around it with ice cream in hand and a line stretching out the door. Get a scoop, find somewhere to sit, and people-watch for a while.
Stay for Dinner
If you have the time, don't leave LoHi for dinner. Root Down at 1600 W. 33rd Avenue is one of the neighborhood's longtime staples, housed in a converted mid-century gas station and serving a seasonal, globally influenced menu in one of Denver's more distinctive restaurant spaces.
Kawa Ni is a lively Japanese izakaya on W. 32nd Avenue, known for shareable small plates, an extensive sake and whiskey list, and one of the best patios in the neighborhood.
And for a true LoHi staple, El Five sits five floors up with unobstructed views of the downtown skyline and a Mediterranean small-plates menu built for sharing. Reservations are a good idea, especially around sunset.
Drinks After Dinner
Cap off the night with a stop at Williams & Graham on Tejon Street, a speakeasy-style cocktail bar tucked behind a bookcase entrance, known for one of the best drink programs in Denver. If it's a warmer night, Recess has an easygoing, dog-friendly patio with plenty of beers on tap. Or duck into Occidental, right next door to Williams & Graham, for a more laid-back neighborhood bar feel with thoughtful cocktails of its own.
Our Perfect LoHi Day
Coffee at Maci Cafe, a walk down Boulder Street, some time browsing the shops, maybe a stop for a massage or a head spa treatment. Lunch at Avanti or Linger, a walk over the Highland Bridge to browse Platte Street, ice cream at Little Man. Dinner at Root Down, Kawa Ni, or El Five, then a nightcap at Williams & Graham.
No Ubering across Denver. No trying to squeeze six neighborhoods into one afternoon. Just a day in LoHi.
Why We Love LoHi
The thing we love most about LoHi isn't one particular restaurant, shop, or view. It's being able to walk down the street and know the people behind the businesses around you. When you spend a day shopping, eating, and drinking at locally owned places, you're supporting the people who actually make this part of Denver interesting, and you usually end up having a better day for it.
If you're wandering the neighborhood, stop by Universal Deco at 1600 Boulder Street and say hello. We'll show you the jewelry.
